The Afterwards
by flarescence
Summary: So once again the Teen Titans are victorious, even in the face of ultimate evil. But did they really think that no one realized what happened? The Sailor Senshi sure did. And it looks like they're going to help them take care of some unfinished business..
1. After The End

I have recently discovered the wonderfulness that is Teen Titans, and have come to marvel at such technology as the DVR. This comes right after Cartoon Network's ( --means I don't own the Teen Titans characters) "The End," incase you couldn't tell from the title. It's probably after SuperS for Sailor Moon, which isn't mine either. I don't have a set end in mind for this, but I have most of the plotline figured out. A lot of the TT fanfics are a little redundant, so I thought I'd try something new. Also, if I set this up right, I'll have a lead in for a bunch of other stories I have in mind. For those of you who haven't read my profile or the intro to my other story, I'm warning you here that I don't update very often. Guess that means you should put it on the story alert list! ;) I like to finish what I start; it's just that reading boring textbooks takes up most of my time. I already have the first two chapters for this story though, maybe three if I split the next one up. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_**The Afterwards**  
a Teen Titans/SM crossover_

Chapter One: After The End

Grass and leaves rustled gently in the cool breeze, and birds chirped happily from their nests. Cherry blossom petals swayed playfully on the serene temple grounds. All in all, it should have been the quintessence of the perfect day.

But all was not well at Hikawa Jinja Shrine. Nor had it been for Tokyo, or the rest of the world for that matter, just a few moments ago.

"Unh…" groaned a prone figure in the main courtyard.

"Is everyone alright?" queried another meekly, tucking a stray strand of golden hair behind their ear.

"Wha…what the hell just happened!" asked another, ignoring the question and getting up to their feet, short dirty-blonde hair teased by the wind.

Another gently placed a hand on their shoulder in response. "Please calm down. We should appreciate the fact that we are alive."

A muffled sob stopped any retort from issuing, and the remaining figures all turned towards the source, their leader, Sailor Moon, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face in them.

"What's the matter Koneko? Are you hurt?" The aggressive woman asked concernedly, rushing over to her princess' side.

"I…I felt everyone…die. Everyone…" she whispered as she choked back more tears.

Another petite figure had crawled closer to the distraught girl as she pulled out a small blue computer, and proceeded to scan for any injuries they couldn't see, as well as try to figure out what _had_ just happened.

"Mars…!" a heretofore silent figure demanded, getting up to her feet with as much anger as Uranus.

The addressed fighter said nothing, her countenance stony, eyes sad.

"Mars, I know you know what happened. It's why you called us here to begin with, isn't it? How about you explain, unless we've got another interruption coming that you're not telling us about?" continued the green-clad warrior, marching right up to the still silent Mars.

"Jupiter," the blonde known as Venus warned. "There's no need for that. If she has any answers, we won't get them from her with threats."

Jupiter glared at the second-in-command, but backed away, awaiting a response.

"It was…" Mars hesitated, "the End of the World."

"That doesn't make sense, Mars. If it were, we wouldn't be here right now. And Pluto would have told us something," dismissed Uranus.

"It was the End, and you know as well as I do that Pluto doesn't tell us about things she doesn't know about, or that don't concern us."

"I'm inclined to think that the End of the World might concern us a bit," pointed out the blue-haired Mercury, who had by now found that there was nothing wrong with their leader. Not _physically_ anyway.

"Exactly what I was about to say," growled Jupiter.

"Even if Pluto _didn't_ know about this, _you_ did. It's your duty to report anything that might be a threat to the people we protect," said Venus, addressing their resident seer. She paused, and furrowed her brow in thought, suddenly coming to a conclusion. "This isn't just something that just came up, is it? You've known about this for a while, haven't you?" she accused. "_That's_ why you've been so recluse these past couple of weeks."

"I wasn't exactly sure of what would happen," Mars answered stoically.

"It doesn't matter. You didn't know exactly what was going to happen the _last_ time you had nightmares and ill-boding visions. You delayed telling us then too. And it almost cost us an innocent life," Venus returned, referring to the battles that led up to the fight with Mistress 9.

"That wasn't her fault. She wasn't even supposed to know anything about it. What would _you_ have done if you had to see your best friends die, and not know why?" defended the usually silent Saturn.

"I would have told them so that they would have been prepared!" Jupiter yelled.

"Please, stop. Just…stop. I think she can explain herself," spoke a gentle voice, whose force nonetheless commanded everyone's attention once more.

Mars gave Sailor Moon a thankful glance, and sighed. "Look, I know how you must feel. Yes, it's true that I did suspect something like this was going to happen. I didn't know where, or how. I had a nightmare that showed me everything we just saw, and hardly anything more. Not why it was going to happen or…if we could even stop it." She looked down and shut her eyes, trying to block out the images from her mind and the accusing glares from her friends. "I did several fire readings, hoping that I would get answers. And I did, sort of." She raised her head again defiantly, staring straight at Sailor Moon this time. "And it wasn't our fight to fight."

"What?" yelled Jupiter and Uranus, while Neptune merely frowned, and Saturn went to stand beside Mars. Mercury began typing furiously on her computer. Venus ignored the reactions of her fellow scouts, thinking hard once again.

"I know we believe ourselves to be protectors of the world. And many times we have fought for just that. But our main duty is to protect our princess, our future queen, Serenity." Mars looked at Venus now. "There are others out there who help protect the world as well, and who have their own battles to fight."

The others looked at whom she was addressing, as Venus glanced up sharply. It wasn't that she didn't want them to find out. She knew all too well that there were countless other warriors, fighting their own archenemies in their respective parts of the world. She could think of one boy in particular in her old country, London, who had a particularly evil being to deal with. But many of her fellow warriors were a bit…zealous when it came to getting rid of the malevolent. If they knew how many monsters were really out there, they'd insist on fighting every single one of them. Mars was one of those, so Venus was surprised that she had responded to the revelation in such a way. Venus could not let them take on the world. Tokyo needed them; their princess needed them. This is where they belonged.

She nodded slowly at the expectant faces, ensuring them of the truth of Mars' statement. Neither Neptune nor Mercury looked too surprised at this new information.

"But," Uranus faltered, trying hard to grasp the fact that she wasn't to have a hand in kicking every evil being's butt, "this is something that affected us. If there were others to take care of it, why didn't they?"

"We're still alive, so they must have, somehow," Mercury responded, still typing fast.

"So, you're saying that everyone we've fought so far, Beryl, Queen Nehelenia, _everyone_…they've just been the tip of the iceberg?"

"I wouldn't put down our accomplishments that much, Jupiter," Venus smiled. "We get a lot of the more nasty ones, for some reason. There are those who are more like crime fighters than planetary warriors."

"Besides, didn't you think it a little odd for all of the evil things to come through Tokyo in their plans for world domination?" grinned Neptune, lightening the tension.

"Well…" Uranus said grudgingly.

"Beryl's headquarters weren't here," pointed out Jupiter.

"But, she did attack here, thus becoming our problem. Besides, she had some unfinished business."

"Alright," Jupiter gave in. "So you had a reason not to tell us. But I'd still like to know what the hell just happened, why we were barely able to hold out, and if whatever it was is gone for good."

Many of the others nodded in agreement.

"I believe I can answer that one Mars, if you'll allow me to."

All eyes turned towards the usually absent figure of the enigmatic Pluto walking towards the group, Time Staff in hand. Mars nodded in assent.

"First of all, I must apologize for not giving you prior warning. I knew what _could_ happen, and that there was a chance that it would play out this way. But I also knew there was no way for you to stop it, and if you had attempted it, our princess would have died. Thus I could not have allowed you all to find out about it, though convincing Mars that she should not tell you the little information she did know took a little…persuasion."

Mars said nothing, only de-transformed and started walking back in to the shrine.

"We should take our cue from Rei. It is not a very long story, but any visitors to the shrine would find it odd that the elusive Sailor Scouts are chatting at a Shinto temple in the middle of the day. They did not go through the ordeal as you did. They do not know anything has occurred," she assured their worried glances towards the streets of their beloved city.

Once they had all settled into their usual meeting room, back in their normal guises, Setsuna continued with her narrative.

"As many of you have just found out, there are others in the world who fight for justice as much as yourselves, though in their own way, of course. There are many groups of these heroes. Some are beings from other worlds, even other universes. Some are humans who have been changed by circumstances, with magical abilities they can control with or without a talisman, and some are just plain humans who have extraordinary gifts. Now, the group that concerns us today, for it was their enemy that was able to bring about the End, is the Teen Titans of—"

"Jump City," supplied Ami. She had finished typing, and was now projecting several headshots of what the rest assumed were the 'Titans.' At a nod from Setsuna, she continued. "These are the members of the group of teenage crime fighters who call themselves the Teen Titans. They range from 16 to 19 years of age. Well, Earth years, anyway." At the questioning looks on some of the others' faces, she elaborated.

"Starfire," she explained, as one of the pictures in the lineup was brought forward, "is from a planet called Tamaran. She is actually the princess of her planet. According to records I was able to dig up, she once fought and won a battle for the throne from her corrupt sister, Blackfire. Upon winning, she decided to pass on the throne and its responsibilities to Galfore, who was her caretaker as she was growing up, in order to stay with the Titans. She is still new to many of Earth's customs, but her innocence and naivety belie her extreme physical strength. She can shoot what they've dubbed 'starbolts,' from her eyes and hands, and she can fly.

"Cyborg," she continued, and a picture of a dark-skinned youth with what looked like half a robot mask came into the fore, "is a human/robot hybrid. That means he's part man, part machine," she explained in response to several blank looks, "He had a terrible accident, and it was the only way to save him. He is extremely intelligent, and definitely the brain behind the group, the one who makes most of their gadgets, including their headquarters. His main weapon is a sonic blaster that can rival one of Serena's fits, and his strength is increased twenty fold due to his robot half."

The others blinked at the uncommon joke from their resident genius, and a few chuckled.

"Beast Boy," she went on, addressing the picture now being focused on, "is a Changeling. He can morph into any animal he chooses, be it a beast from land, sea, or air, although he retains his green tint when transformed. He is by far the least serious of the group, though that doesn't make him any less valuable. He had an incident once after a fight with one, Adonis, in which he unwittingly turned into something much like a werewolf. His inner-beast, they called it."

"He's soo cute!" giggled Minako, pointing to a smaller picture which showed him transformed into a kitten. The others sighed. It never ceased to amaze them how different she could be when not transformed.

"Then there's Robin, undisputed leader of the group. Adept at almost every single form of fighting technique known to man, he is the most human of the team. He was once the partner of a…Batman? I'll look more into that later. His preferred weapon is his extendable bo-staff, though he also utilizes many disks and Bird-a-rangs in order to catch his enemies. He's well-endowed in the intelligence area as well, and has a sometimes scary obsession to catch the bad guy."

'Well-endowed' was the only thing many in the room heard as they stared at the Boy Wonder. Makoto and Minako had hearts in their eyes, and were sighing like lovesick puppies. Usagi had to remind herself that she already _had_ a boyfriend, and even Rei was looking at him appreciatively.

"Calm down, guys. According to some side notes I managed to dig up," at this Ami clicked a sequence onto the keypad, "he seems pretty interested in Starfire. At least, she seems to think so."

"Ami, just how exactly are you getting all of this information?" queried an intrigued Rei. She'd never been that interested in computers growing up, but Ami had recently shown her a few of the more 'useful' things you could do with them. The other girls in the room also looked toward their brilliant friend, expecting her to blush. She obviously hadn't gotten this much personal information out of a police database.

Ami's cheeks did tinge a bit, but other than that she did not seem that fazed that they had caught her. "I got it from the source itself, their computer system. I must admit that Cyborg's firewalls and security codes did take me a while to get past."

"Like what, all of five minutes?" laughed Makoto.

"Er, it was my computer that did most of the work," Ami murmured, this time glancing down. "But never mind that. That's not what we should be focusing on…"

"You're right. We need to be focusing in on this wonderful piece of eye candy right here," nodded Minako enthusiastically, as she continued to stare at Robin's photo.

"No, actually _this_ is who we need to focus on," and Ami pulled up another photo, one of a girl whose face was half-concealed by a dark blue hood. She typed something else, and another snapshot came up, this time with the girl's hood down.

"Wow," smirked Haruka. "Some long-lost sister you never told us about Rei?" she asked interestedly as Michiru playfully slapped her arm.

"No," Hotaru finally spoke up from the corner of the room. "Mine."

* * *

Aha! I know what you're thinking: "overused connection." Well, it might be something that others have written about but it's not going to be what you think. You'll have to read at least one more chapter before you decide whether or not to skim over this title on the story list in the future. And while you're at it, you could, maybe...write a review! That way I'll know if you do/don't like it, and I'll be able to work with that! As for pairings…um…that's not exactly the main point of this story, and I don't really have any specific ones in mind. But you'll just have to keep reading and find out, huh? 

Edited 9/26/2005


	2. Discussions

Disclaimer remains the same: I own neither Sailor Moon nor Teen Titans. Sadly.

* * *

Chapter Two: Discussions

The room rang with silence at this piece of information as its many occupants struggled to comprehend how it could be true.

"But Firefly," Haruka protested as she tried to think of every little detail she'd heard of Hotaru's heritage. "I thought you were an only child?"

Setsuna cleared her throat for their attention, and once again took on the role of informer. "Let me clarify a bit. Raven is Saturn's half-sister, the key word being 'Saturn's.' Their father is…was…Trigon the Terrible, as he called himself. Back in the Silver Millennium, he was the one who helped bring Saturn into being. Most of the 'superheroes' around the world today have some sort of link to those from the Silver Millennium. Raven's connection is through her father who, incidentally, brought about the destruction you have all just witnessed."

"But why would he do such a thing?" wondered Makoto.

"It is the reason why he sired Saturn in the first place. It is from him that she gets her darker powers, and it is his evil inside of her that brought about Mistress 9. He wished to use her as a means to take over her planet, and in turn, the universe. He probably would have succeeded with his plan if Beryl hadn't gone through with hers first. Because Saturn died, he wasn't able to carry it through, which was just as well."

"So the Silver Millennium would have come to an end soon even _without_ Beryl?" Rei questioned. Of the inners, she was the only one who had had a glimpse of how evil the entity Trigon was; the rest had only seen what he was capable of.

"Yes, Rei," Setsuna confirmed sadly. "The end of that peaceful era was near at hand with or without Beryl's help. Although his strategy failed with Saturn, Trigon did not abandon it. He was able to seduce a lost woman by the name of Angela Roth, or Arella, as Raven calls her mother. I won't reveal too much of her past, for it is not my place. The main thing is that he hoped to use her the way he had once hoped to use Saturn. And it seemed like he succeeded. For a while, anyway."

"But why didn't he just go after Hotaru?" Usagi asked with a shudder, not wanting to think of what would have happened if that…monster…had tried to use one of her good friends to take over the world.

"Because of you, Princess," the cultured woman smiled at her liege. "Your light and hope had already 'tainted' the evil that had once run rampant in his first-born. Saturn was protected by the Ginzuishou and the good inside of you. Raven, unfortunately, did not have that type of protection. Due to her somewhat different way of being raised, she _was_ able to control the evil side. She joined the Titans in hopes that each good deed would bring out more good inside of her. But Trigon was relentless in his pursuit of conquer, and in the end, she herself accepted her fate. His taking over the world brought about The End, which you encountered. Her teammates may not have been able to defeat him without her, but they had one weapon which, though easily lost, can be almost as powerful as Love itself."

"What—"

"Hope," she answered the unspoken question. "Raven had given up hope, for a while, that she would be able to overcome her father's wishes—her 'destiny,' as he called it—though she did try. He was simply too powerful, with doubt in her mind. After all, she had been told all of her life what she had been created for. Once she discovered that he was not invincible, she decided to take her fate in her own hands. She was able to defeat him with her newly discovered powers of Light. For without Light there can be no Darkness."

"How was she able to overcome him in a head-on battle when _we_ could barely withstand the destruction he wrought upon the earth?" Makoto inquired, impressed. She thought back to what was now barely over an hour before, when she and the others had first responded to Rei's urgent call for an emergency meeting. The moment they had all assembled, Mars had ordered them to transform and form a barrier around their clearly confused leader.

'Good thing we didn't waste time asking questions,' she mused. Scarcely a moment after they had done as instructed, fire erupted all around them. Time itself burned to a standstill, and True Evil made itself known. The horrors that spewed forth from Hell itself came at them with relentless fury; clearly, they had not liked the fact that there were those that had not yielded to whatever master was controlling them, whom the Senshi now knew was Trigon. They had all felt their strength slipping slowly away as what seemed like eternities passed, but the knowledge that they had to protect their princess kept them determined to deter the demons for as long as it took. For her part, Sailor Moon had used the Ginzuishou to help keep their energy levels up, since they still didn't know who or what was causing it all.

"She had his power that he had given her, and the power her friends made her aware of. Only _she_ could have defeated him. Hotaru was not trained how to fight with her father's power in this lifetime, though her abilities as a Senshi are often quite similar. The rest of you would not have survived either."

The gathered took this in, and Usagi asked the question they were all wondering.

"Is it…over? Is he really gone?"

Setsuna pondered a moment before answering, choosing her words carefully. "His powers still reside in Raven. However," she held up a hand to stop any of the comments she knew would come at that announcement, "they live in Hotaru as well. We saw that when Mistress 9 took over her. I do not think that they will be any danger to our princess or the world, as long as Raven continues to fight for Good."

"Other than that though, we're set right? We just continue fighting the baddies that come our way?" Makoto grinned, punching her right fist into her other palm.

"Not exactly." It was Ami who answered this time. "In order to get Raven back, Robin had to go through Hell, quite literally. He teamed up with his archenemy Slade, who has fought against the Titans almost since the time they were formed. Slade had become a servant of Trigon after he was thrown into lava by a 'Terra.' He was to help bring about Trigon's plan in exchange for his body. As you can all guess, Trigon was not exactly a being of his word. So Slade showed Robin where to find Raven, who had not actually been destroyed in becoming the portal as they originally thought, and he went to get his body back. Now—and this part is speculation based on readings from my computer—he did achieve his goal. But in releasing _his_ spirit, he also released others' that were in the deepest Circle of Hell."

"And that is what I've come to talk to you all about. Among those released were some of our old…acquaintances. They have been let loose upon the world once again, and will soon begin doing what they do best: harming the innocent in order to gain enough power to take over the world. Even a trip to Hell hasn't deterred all of them from that path," Setsuna said gravely.

Muffled "No!"s and gasps were her reply.

Minako, grasping the seriousness of the situation, nodded knowingly. "We'll have to help them out. I don't think our enemies will be satisfied with just attacking Tokyo this time around. Not when there's a city placed conveniently to welcome them."

Setsuna nodded. "Exactly. Some of us are going to have to go to Jump City in order to aid the Teen Titans in the battles that will invariably ensue. Those monsters are not theirs; they will not be able to stop all of them."

"How are we to know who is to go?" Michiru asked for the group.

"I will go," responded Hotaru without hesitation.

"I agree. After all, this does involve her half-sister. And I would like for Mercury and Mars to go as well. They will be able to detect the magical signatures even Cyborg's sensors cannot.

"I'm going to stay here," Minako spoke authoritatively. "Some of them might come back here, just for old times' sake." She gave one last longing glance at the display of Robin, then set her jaw in determination, and flashed her patented "V" for victory.

"Princess, you should stay as well. Most of them probably _will_ come here. We will need the Ginzuishou."

"I don't like this at all. I don't like having my Senshi split up like this," Usagi shook her head.

"Odango atama, it's not like we've never fought separately before. Besides, unlike those other times, you'll know where we are, and what we're doing. We're just on the other side of the world, no big."

The small girl pouted at her nickname, but looked into the violet eyes of her best friend. She knew what she spoke was the truth. She nodded reluctantly.

"Good, the plan is decided upon then?" asked Setsuna unnecessarily. "Although, I think we could do with one more Scout for the mission."

"I'll do it! I wanna see how good this Robin guy is," Makoto exclaimed, standing up and stabbing the air with a few quick punches.

The others sweatdropped, knowing that a spar wasn't the _only_ thing Makoto would be looking forward to.

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible. The Spirits of the Vanquished will waste no time, and nor should we."

The ones who had been chosen for the mission stood up, and prepared to leave. As Hotaru and Makoto did not have anybody outside of the fighting group to report to, there was no need for excuses to be concocted for their extended leave. Ami and Rei had long ago told their caretakers who they really were (though it was safe to assume that they'd already suspected), and so did not have to worry about it either.

Goodbyes were dealt with and soon the transformed company stood with cloaks over their uniforms in their respective colors. They grasped hands, and gathered their energy for the teleportation. They didn't need all of the scouts to do this anymore; in fact, there were a lot of things different from when they had first become a team. While the others looked on at a safe distance, rocks lifted from the ground, and the wind began to swirl around them faster and faster. In a sudden flash of light, they were gone.

"Kami-sama help them," muttered Haruka.

Michiru glanced at the taller girl in surprise. "You don't think the girls will be able to handle it?"

"I wasn't referring to them."

* * *

Okie dokie. I think that's the shortest chapter I've ever written. But these first two were mainly for background and transition. PLUS, I got them out pretty quick. So :P

Fear not fans of the Senshi who got left behind! I fully intend to keep up with their skirmishes as well, although the main focus will be on the crossover group. Unless y'all don't want me to. How would I know your wishes? Hmm…well, you _could_ review. Just a thought :).

Stay tuned for the next installment, in which the Senshi and Titans meet! What will the teen team's reactions be? They might not trust them… But let's face it, BB and Cyborg probably wouldn't mind girls in short skirts!

Edited 9/26/2005


	3. The Beginning of The Afterwards

Nope, still don't own Sailor Moon or Teen Titans.

* * *

Chapter Three: The Beginning of The Afterwards

"No way! That's doesn't count as the real me! Besides," a small purple-and-black clad figure crossed his arms indignantly, "I'd already been fighting him for a while. I wore him down for you."

"Man, you _know_ that I would kick your butt. Why won't you just admit it?" laughed another larger form.

The green-skinned changeling known as Beast Boy simply turned away and stuck his nose up in the air.

"Hmph." Peeking out of the corner of his eye towards the table where his teammates were sitting, he quickly forgot the light-hearted disagreement as he lunged for the pan that sat like a prize amidst his friends. "I call lasties!"

His challenger in the argument earlier was also his rival for the most coveted award for their battle against Ultimate Evil: the last slice of pizza.

The two glanced down at their hands, each having half of said trophy, and then glanced up at each other, bolts of electricity almost visible as they both narrowed their eyes in challenge.

A highly amused Starfire giggled at the two, and proceeded to referee a quick round of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.' She had recently been shown that one did not actually need these items to play, though it had taken her a while to understand why.

Robin grinned as he looked on at the scene, but then frowned as he thought of what was missing: Raven. After a full day of celebration at the Tower, they had decided to go enjoy the fruits of their labor and take the party to the city they'd helped save. Raven had politely declined, saying that she needed to meditate. This was understandable, taking into consideration what had just happened hours before. Robin had relented, but that didn't mean he liked leaving her behind. After all, it was because of her that they were all alive in the first place. He didn't think it was best that they leave her alone right now.

'She really needs to loosen up,' the young fighter mused. _Um, hello, Kettle? This is the Pot. You're black._ 'Yeah, well…at least I enjoy myself every once in a while,' he thought back dryly. Starfire's ecstatic clapping broke him from his inner dialogue.

"A hard-fought battle and a great victory, friend Beast Boy!"

"You sure you want to eat that?"

"Why wouldn't I want to?" the Winner of the Last Slice glanced warily at his defeated opponent. He slowly focused on the slice of pizza that was mere inches from his mouth. Had Cyborg licked it?

"What! GROUND BEEF? I thought we ordered half cheese, half _mushroom_."

"That's what the other pizza was. This one was half cheese, half ground beef. You should really pay attention to what you stick in your mouth, you know." Cyborg grinned and reached for the desired slice. "Guess you won't be eating that after all."

Fuming once more, Beast Boy reluctantly handed over the tainted prize. "How can you eat that? It's like eating _me_!"

"No i's nod," Cyborg replied, mouth full of cow and cheese. "Dhis izen nashdy."

The poor animal lover turned away, unable to look on anymore, and made a noise that sounded distinctly like "blegh." Starfire continued to smile and began to add a generous quantity of mustard to her last slice.

Robin couldn't help but smile at their antics. He was grateful to be able to see another fight over pizza, to hear Beast Boy try to turn them into vegetarians, and even welcomed the sight of Starfire adding an insane amount of mustard to her food, which he frankly found a bit, well…gross. Yes, it was good to be able to enjoy a bit of peace. They certainly deserved it.

Just as he was about to suggest that they all go get dessert, a demanding buzz issued from various spots around the table. The first one to realize what was happening, Robin quickly took up the leadership role that came so easily for him. "Titans, trouble!"

At these words, the others snapped to their senses. Cyborg began pulling up information on his built-in computer interface, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.

"It says that it's coming from…the Tower! Somebody's broken into _my_ tower, with _my_ security in place! It must be Brother Blood. I _knew_ he'd made a back-up of the schematics he hacked."

"It's gotta be Adonis…there's a full moon tonight. I bet he broke out." Beast Boy clenched his fist, remembering what had happened the last time the souped-up wimp had paid them a visit.

"No, it must be our enemy Warp. He must have found a way to revert himself and gone back to the future and has read about The Battle from one of his books. He wishes to attack us when he feels we are most vulnerable," Starfire said sadly, remembering the terrible future that was supposedly in store for them. She still feared it might yet come to pass.

"Slade…" was all Robin was able to growl out.

They all stopped their theories and looked at each other, realization clear in their shocked expressions.

"Raven!"

x-x-x-x-x-x

Minutes before, the quiet island located just off the coast of Jump City had been disturbed by a bright flash of light. Four figures appeared where only jagged rocks had been before, and they slowly looked around at their unfamiliar environment.

One pulled out her computer and began the familiar action of typing, and a taller gave a derisive snort.

"A tower shaped like a 'T,' huh? Well, at least we know they aren't too big on concealment." Jupiter took a few steps toward the soaring building, not wanting to waste more time then was necessary.

"No, wait…" Mercury began, but it was too late. She had wanted them to stay put until she could disable whatever alarms and traps had been rigged to guard against unwary intruders.

Jupiter had stepped across a laser's path, and much to her chagrin, had set off an annoyingly loud, whining alarm. "Oops… heh," she offered sheepishly.

The others, minus Mercury who was frowning at her computer, held their hands over their ears to try and block out the violent sound. "Can't you find a reset button or something Mercury?" Mars yelled over the sirens.

Mercury continued to stare at the print out. Biting her lip, she shook her head. "No. Cyborg did an amazing job with his perimeter security. It's all run on closed circuit. And I mean _closed_ circuit. It can't be tampered with from any outside source. Unless—"

But she stopped mid-sentence when she heard a cry from one of her teammates. Glancing up, she saw that Jupiter had narrowly avoided a metal claw that had reached out from the ground at her feet. Looking around, she saw that there were several more like it, all intent on ensnaring the trespassers.

"Unless what, Mercury?" grunted Jupiter after kicking the metal arm in two and ducking beneath another. The others were dodging the frighteningly fast metal grips as well.

"Never mind! It would take too long to find the right frequency with which to duplicate Cyborg's signal in order to override his programming!" Mercury shouted back, running towards the Teen Titan's headquarters.

"It took you too long to say that sentence," grumbled Jupiter, disabling two more.

Mercury ignored her. "We have to try and find a way in. It's the only way!"

Jupiter and Mars nodded to each other. While Jupiter launched her 'thunder' at the arms grabbing for her otherwise occupied teammate, Mars launched a fireball that cleared the path (and the door) into the stronghold. Taking advantage of the momentary glitch Jupiter's electrical upsurge caused the machines, they all ran into what looked like a long hallway, with overstuffed armchairs alongside a thin maroon carpet.

"Well," Mars commented, looking down at the torn hem of her cloak. "That was fun."

x-x-x-x-x-x

Robin navigated deftly through traffic on his R-Cycle, hoping that whoever was attacking their center of operations wasn't who he thought it was. He stole a quick glance to his side-view mirror, in which the T-Car suddenly appeared. Starfire was flying overhead, gaining a slight lead. Robin gave his ride more gas.

'So much for peaceful,' he thought spitefully.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Raven narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus in on who the intruders were. She could sense that there were four of them, and all were giving off a high-energy signature. There seemed to be something blocking her from reading any more than that. Or _someone_. Whoever they were, clearly they were not to be underestimated. And though she couldn't be sure, she thought that one of them seemed strangely familiar…

'They're heading to the main room,' she realized. Making up her mind, she seemed to melt into the floor in a puddle of inky black, only to reappear moments later in a hallway off of the dark common room. She was going to find out who had disturbed her meditation, and how they had gotten past Cyborg's newly revamped security system. 'After all,' she deliberated, 'if I can defeat my father, I can take care of whoever these guys are, no problem.'

Somehow she couldn't quite convince herself that it would be that simple.

------

The senshi had indeed found themselves in the Titans' main living area. They all gasped in surprise at the wreckage barely visible in the faint light issuing from the fireball Mars was holding up.

"Do you think there was an attack?" Saturn whispered, glancing around at the devastated room and fearing the worst for her half-sister.

Mercury had activated her visor and was checking data seen only by her. "Though it does look like there might have been some sort of a struggle, there aren't any signs that anyone was 'defeated.' And I don't think those security measures that greeted us had been set off before we got here."

"Maybe they didn't come in through the front door," murmured Jupiter as she dropped into a fighting stance. She wasn't about to take any chances.

"Shh," warned Mars, pulling back her hood and scanning the area with her sixth sense. "There's something near. Something _evil_." Indicating a dark hallway, she extinguished the flame in her hand and took out an ofuda scroll, murmuring a few words to charge it. The others fanned out, preparing for an attack.

Down the appointed hallway stood a silent Raven, who struggled to hear their whispers. She saw the light fade out. Had they left? Thinking it was alright to chance a closer look, she walked stealthily closer to the entrance.

Mars had sensed the movement, and made to stop it. "Mars," Saturn hesitated. But her teammate had already launched the charm.

The next instant, all Raven knew was pain. Intense, unbearable pain. It felt as if her soul were being ripped in two in the most savage way imaginable. She couldn't move, couldn't think. She could only scream.

Saturn paled and staggered, after which several things seemed to happen at once. Four new beings burst into the room, one throwing a small disk at the red-cloaked figure who had thrown the offending talisman, only to have it kicked away by another figure clad in green.

"Bl…Blackfire?" gasped an innocent sounding girl, and suddenly the room was bathed in jade as her eyes and hands flared with her power. "I do not know how you were able to escape once again, but you will pay for hurting my friend!" she cried, launching several emerald bolts in quick succession. A wall of ice blocked her attack, and the two teams reformed.

"Mars," gasped Mercury, "take—"

But she was cut short when a thick beam of blue-white energy blasted through her quickly formed wall. Mars had gotten the message though, and moved towards the still screaming girl, only to be blocked by a huge crow swooping down on her. '_Stay away from her!'_ it screamed mentally.

"I'm trying to _help_ her!" Mars bit back, ducking to avoid the sharp talons. The flying creature wavered, clearly shocked she had understood him. Mars used his hesitation to her advantage, and reached out a hand to wrench the scroll off of the still-screaming girl's forehead. Just as she had grasped it, she was kicked hard from behind by Robin, who had used his bo-staff to launch himself over the others. The force caused her to hit her head against the doorway, and she slid down the wall, looking about dazedly. As he made to land another blow, he was suddenly jerked back by his cape and thrown to the floor by a taller girl, who was in turn hit from behind by the remnants of another hastily erected ice wall burst apart by another blue beam. Turning, she threw herself to the side as several green bolts jetted past her, right towards the collapsed form of the girl who Mars had attacked earlier.

"No!" shrieked Starfire.

Mars had recovered by now, and, seeing the angry energy hurtling towards the prone figure, leapt to intercept them while igniting a wall of flame and crossing her arms to block against those few that made it through. The fire dissipated most of them, and those that got past merely succeeded in pushing her back a few inches.

"ENOUGH!" cried the smallest cloaked girl, and her eyes suddenly glowed white. Dark violet ribbons reached out from the floor and ensnared each person in the room, effectively stopping any more attacks and getting their attention. (1)

"Please," she said softly, "we didn't mean to attack her. It was a misunderstanding."

"Why should we believe you?" spat Robin, struggling against his bonds, but to no avail.

"Incase you didn't notice, we tried to rectify our mistake. And I didn't just tie _you_ up."

"Yeah," yelled Jupiter, who was also fighting against the resilient ribbon, "what's up with that?"

Saturn ignored her, instead considering her next words. "We are known as the Sailor Senshi, and we have come to your city on a mission. Something happened that wasn't supposed to; Evil was released that had already been sealed away." As she said this, a tendril wrapped itself around Raven and lifted her still form, bringing her towards Saturn.

"Leave her alone! She's not evil; she's the one who stopped it," yelled Robin, eyes widening at the thought of what this powerful stranger might do to his teammate.

Saturn smiled softly, and made another motion. The indigo strands carried the unconscious girl and laid her down gently on the couch, after which they receded back into the floor. "We know what part Raven played. She was the portal that brought Trigon, The End, and," she interrupted the retort about to issue from Cyborg, "The Afterwards. For your great deeds, we are in your debt." She gave them a deep bow.

"But why is it that my sister fights with you?" queried an unsure Starfire.

Saturn looked confused for a moment, and then nodded in understanding. "Mercury, perhaps a little more light is in order."

Until now, the room had only been lit by the glow of the full moon streaming in through the large bay windows, and the various powers that had issued forth from the formidable teens. Mercury was then released, and she proceeded to punch another series of keys on the small computer that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"You can't turn on the lights with tha—" began Cyborg with an indignant tone, but he didn't get to finish his statement, as bright lights blazed into life, blinding them momentarily. His jaw dropped to the floor.

"I, um…linked to your system," explained Mercury quietly.

As eyes adjusted to the new level of illumination, the two teams began to take stock of their opponents.

"Dude, what's with the weird hair color?" Beast Boy asked in what he _thought_ was a quiet voice, staring at Mercury while scratching his head with his untied hand. Obviously tact was not one of his strong suits.

"Uh, BB…you're green," reminded Cyborg.

The unobservant changeling opened his mouth to contest, but shut it after a moment's thought. "Oh…heh," he chuckled nervously, arm behind his head. "Of course."

"I am sorry that I mistook you for my wicked sister. I could not see very well, though I did observe you throw something at my friend Raven, after which she started to scream most horribly," Starfire sighed remorsefully, eyes to the ground. Mars nodded, accepting the apology. Starfire gave a small smile.

"If you promise not to attack us, I will release you and we shall explain exactly what circumstances have brought us here, as well as a little more about ourselves. We already know much about you, Teen Titans, and it's only fair to reciprocate."

Robin glanced at his remaining team, all of which looked a bit uncomfortable dangling above the ground as they were. None besides Raven seemed to have been hurt too badly though. He nodded once in agreement, although he continued to eye the tall girl with the ponytail warily.

Saturn unclenched her left hand and everyone was released, with all except Beast Boy landing gracefully on the ground as the ribbons retreated back into the floor after unraveling.

"Ouch," he squeaked up from the ground. Gathering himself up, he walked concernedly towards the still unmoving Raven. "Wha'd you do to her?" he asked with worry in his voice.

It was Mars' turn to look regretful. "I used an ofuda. It's a scroll used to banish evil spirits," she explained. "I…I didn't know it was Raven. I would never have used it if I had, due to her particular…makeup. I only focused on the evil I felt, a mistake that I should never have let happen." Though her expression remained passive, her eyes burned with anger directed inwards. She made her way over to where the young Azarathean lay, pulling out another scroll while Saturn followed her.

"Please, did you not just say that you would not have used this, o-fooda, against her had you known who she was?" the pretty alien asked worriedly.

"This is different. This is to save her."

The remaining Titans looked towards their leader. His face showed a brief internal struggle, but in the end he said nothing. They all looked on as Mars chanted once more and placed the new piece of parchment on the girls' chest. Saturn then took her place and held glowing hands over the scroll.

"That's kinda like what Raven does," observed Cyborg.

"They have a lot more in common than you think," commented Jupiter wryly.

The Titans glanced at each other, unsure whether or not this was a good thing.

* * *

(1) Yeah, I know she doesn't exactly have this in her arsenal, but I'm taking my cue from the other authors that mistakenly give her the power of 'Death RIBBON Revolution.' It really fits really well with what I'm trying to do here, so we'll leave it at that.

Woo hoo! Another finished chapter done in record time. I'm spoiling y'all with all of these quick updates. But I still don't know whether or not most of you like it! It's gotten quite a few hits, but hardly anyone has posted remarks. This makes me think that you wouldn't want to keep reading…

I'd love for you to write a quick review for it, be it good or bad. I'd be even more appreciative to those who give actual constructive criticism; I'd really like to know if there's anything I need to fix. The next chapter probably won't be posted as quickly, as I've got reading to catch up on. :( But the story will go on!

Special thanks to **Harpygirl91**, **Aleric**, and **moon-bunny735** for taking the time to comment on my humble story! **Aleric**, I hadn't really thought about that, though I haven't forgotten about her beloved Silkie. Perhaps I'll throw in something special, just for you! ;)

Ja ne!

-flarescence

Edited 12/17/2005


	4. Enlightenment

Ack! I've been caught! I had actually been hoping to avoid that issue, **Suuki-Aldrea**. It's just _soo_ much more convenient to pretend they have a universal language! But alas, I must now address the matter at hand. -.- If it seems a little too convenient, it's because I hadn't really planned to focus on the small obstacle. But I have your answer in this chapter. Also, your comment gave me the idea for its title, so I have you to thank for that as well. ;)

I've gone back and made a few _very_ minor adjustments to some of the previous chapters. Nothing you have to worry about if you remember what's been going on though.

Disclaimer: I shouldn't have to remind any conglomerates that this is FANfiction.

* * *

Chapter Four: Enlightenment 

Silence reigned, for once, in the stronghold of Jump City's protectors. They had just heard the most extraordinary narrative from the impressive newcomers: a 'brief' summary of their history, and their present mission. Not a single one of the conscious Teen Titans could find anything to say after this, faces frozen in a look of extreme contemplation.

Deciding that the atmosphere was way too serious, and not really thinking he understood everything that he should have, Beast Boy chose to focus on a more basic concept. "Whoa, wait. Does this mean I can speak Japanese?"

The others on his team blinked confusedly, not really knowing what that had to do with anything. Finally grasping the meaning of his question, they too wondered why they could understand these very foreign girls.

"I mean, I've heard that Japan has awesome schools and all that," the Changeling went on, not wanting to offend them, "but I don't even hear an accent or anything."

Mercury smiled proudly. "Very observant Beast Boy. No, you can't speak Japanese. The reason you can understand us are these," she said, tapping her choker. "Not all of the items we have on are just for show; most of them serve a very important purpose."

"Yeah, you wouldn't catch _me_ wearing all this stuff in a fight if it wasn't necessary," Jupiter put in. She'd gotten used to the fact that she had to wear a skirt and bows in battle by now, but it was still kind of a sore subject when brought up.

"Our tiaras work a bit like Raven's chakra, helping us to focus our powers, and our chokers take the reverberations of our speech and convert the sonic wave output into something more identifiable to the listener. I was able to tweak the magical properties with a computer program that works much like an expert translator. I've already made it compatible with the dictionary of every documented language on Earth. I'm trying to work on another code that will work for those that are not recognizable; hopefully, I'll have it 'learn' the language as we hear it spoken, complete with proper grammatical structure. It's getting a bit complicated though," Mercury detailed, frowning a bit.

The pointy-eared creature was getting used to ignoring difficult-to-grasp concepts, and was just satisfied knowing that it was the thing they wore on their neck that helped them to be understood. Instead of trying to follow along, or at least pretend like he was, he went over to where Raven seemed to be in a trance, much like the one she was in after she was attacked by the werewolf version of Adonis. It made him a bit uncomfortable seeing her like that again, but he knew that it also meant she was well enough to heal herself, which was a good sign. Sighing, he started to turn back to start his well-practiced 'nod and smile' routine in response to Cyborg's overly-enthusiastic questions on the device, when he thought he saw her stir.

"Man, I've been working on a program that just translates Star's language for these guys, but I'm already stuck on how to change the sentence order for questions! This is incredible! Mind if I have a look?" Cyborg asked eagerly, practically drooling.

Mercury nodded while unlatching the blue strip of cloth and handing it to him. Hearing a slight moan from where Raven had been floating, she turned to see the half-demon slowly sit up, holding her head. "Daijabou?"

"Are you alright?" Saturn reiterated.

Raven was about to answer with dry humor, as was her way, when she remembered the people that had attacked her. The same people, she guessed, that were all lounging about in the main room as if they were guests. Not being able to even guess what had happened, she instead cast a questioning glance at her leader.

"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted, relieved his friend was awake and seemed to be well. He quickly tackled her with a very literal bear hug, his transformation drawing a few shocked expressions from the Senshi. After fixing him with one of her death glares, as she wasn't exactly in any position to yell at him, he blushed and transformed back. "Heh, glad you're alright," he offered meekly.

"Welcome back. They're friends. They are the ones who attacked you, but they've explained that it was a misunderstanding. It's quite an unusual story they've got, and Saturn has something to say that really might interest you," Robin informed her with concern in his eyes, answering her unspoken questions while the rest of his team expressed their relief as well. Although he didn't know exactly what she was thinking, their link allowed him enough to guess.

"Saturn?"

"Hotaru, please. We've met before. Sort of."

Raven stared at the small girl with the similar haircut, bits of memory coming forth haphazardly from the depths of her mind. "You're my…sister? No…half-sister, right? I've seen you in some of my meditation sessions. Are you telling me they were more than just imaginings?"

Saturn gave a small smile. "Yes. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to meet in person before now, under these grave circumstances. Pluto wouldn't allow it. Even if things didn't turn out perfectly, they might have been worse had we known each other prior to Trigon's appearance."

Saturn proceeded to give her an even more concise version of what they had disclosed to the rest of the Titans. She would explain more once they had a more private 'reunion.' She guessed that her half-sister would have many questions, and could feel the doubts the dark fighter had about herself, even after her victory over their malevolent father. Saturn was sure Raven was the secretive type, much like herself, and wasn't one to voice these types of uncertainties to others.

"So…let me get this straight. You attacked me because you thought someone had _already_ attacked me?"

A shamed Mars gave a curt nod.

"The place was trashed. It was the most obvious explanation," input Jupiter, a bit sorry herself that she had given Mars such a hard time earlier.

The comment called to attention the very real devastation in the main room and kitchen. Some looked around in wonder, some with a bit of embarrassment. Pride was the only word that could describe Beast Boy's expression though.

"Yeah, well. What can I say? When the Teen Titans throw a party, we go all out," he said with a smirk, emphasizing his statement with what he thought were some cool moves.

"We're going to have to clean this up," Robin stated, a bit uncomfortable with the fact that their 'guests' had seen the Tower in such a state.

Jupiter jumped up, fist held high. "Hey, no prob! We'll help you get this place spick and span in no time."

"No, you don't have to…" Robin started, but trailed off as he watched her get to work with as much speed as Cyborg on the MAX-7.

"I shall lend a hand to our new-found friend with the spick-ing and span-ing of our living areas!" Starfire announced happily, and flew off to assist. Beast Boy and Cyborg shook themselves out of their surprised state when they noticed the other Senshi going to help out too. Robin started to join them as well, when he turned to Raven, who was sitting calmly and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Do you have any doubts about their story?" Robin asked quietly.

Raven frowned and shook her head. "No, not at all. Do you?"

"No, but you're better at that than I am. I'm not sure if I understood everything, but they seem to be telling the truth, and there's no reason why they had to tell us anything. They were putting up a pretty good fight back there, and I think they were holding back. Besides, if what they say is true, then we're in for some tough fights ahead, and we'll need all the help we can get." He watched her expression for any changes, and cautiously went on. "If you don't want to talk to Saturn, I'll find a way to make sure she doesn't bother you. They may be on our side, but that doesn't mean that they have the right to pry."

Raven quickly looked up at him, surprised at his offer. "No, I don't want to avoid her. I'd actually very much like to speak with her."

Robin nodded, satisfied. He too knew that Raven had questions. For all their time together on the team, there was still much that she kept to herself. He respected her privacy, but often wished that she would trust him enough to talk about things that bothered her, especially after the incident with Malchior, an entity that had been trapped in one of her books and had tricked her into confiding in him.

He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile before he went to join in the restoration. Picking up some soda cans which had founded a colony on the counter, he glanced at Saturn, who was holding up a trash bag and giggling as Beast Boy instituted an impromptu game of trash-basketball, or trashketball, as they had previously dubbed it. Grinning, he wondered if maybe now Raven _would_ have someone she felt she could talk to and really trust. He supposed only time would tell.

x-x-x-x-x-x

On the outskirts of the city, in an old rundown, seemingly abandoned warehouse, a solemn individual leered behind his two-toned mask. "Ah, the joys of being alive," he mused aloud, his tone disturbing. He slowly gazed around his new base of operations, frowning a bit. Though the antagonist had not wasted any time in assuming his prior standing, he was still nowhere near as organized as before his little…hiatus.

While he always had several contingency plans, it still felt like he was starting from scratch. As it was, only surveillance was fully operational. Many of his droids needed repairs and/or upgrades, and gathering supplies from his hidden stockpiles was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. After all, he was not supposed to be among the living anymore. The living weren't even supposed to be alive.

The restored adversary narrowed his eyes at the memories of the previous twenty-four hours. Doing 'good' had left an unpleasant taste in his mouth, regardless of the fact that it was a means to an end. He had had to fight alongside his former apprentice and present arch-rival, Robin. He was a man of his word, and he had promised Robin to help him find his precious Raven; the elusive man would not and did not go back on his promises. And so he was forced to pass up the many opportunities to rid himself of his worthy opponent while they fought their way through Hell. Add to that the fact that the incredible power that had been promised him by his former 'master' turned out to be a ruse.

Still, he was grateful for his good fortune in the way things played out. He was, of course, alive, and as for the guaranteed powers, they had not all been false assurances. He had retained a bit of Trigon's energy after that final battle, and had garnered a new weapon as well. Hefting the recently acquired possession, he reveled in the power with which it pulsated. He would make sure the Teen Titans were defeated this time around. He no longer needed an apprentice to help him; surely, the power of Ultimate Evil would be enough to end them?

All this he thought, though the world saw not a one of his emotions, hidden as they were behind their master's mask. He could be a very patient man indeed, and was not about to ruin his chances of achieving his goals by being impetuous. Grinning secretly, he set to work once more.

x-x-x-x-x-x

The dilapidated library had been slated for demolition for quite some time, but due to certain city officials being unwilling to pay or be responsible for bringing down the community symbol, the forsaken building had been left to fall in on itself. Most recently, it had been the launching pad for the worst attack upon mankind, though hardly a soul knew this.

Amongst such rubble and ruin, nothing could be expected to live, except maybe those creatures that were known to survive worse. To wander around the structure meant that one was either very brave—or very stupid—for it was not just the dangerous conditions that served as a natural deterrent, but the very atmosphere that was menacing.

Except that in the midst of this 'dead' building, there was a stirring which could not have been caused by any sort of resilient vermin. A few of them scattered at the implication of an intruder, and out of the wreckage a clawed hand broke through. It wavered a bit, seeming to breathe in the grimy air, and then all at once it was followed by the disquieting shape of what could only be described as a demon. The black enshrouded imp slowly took in its surroundings, mystified as to what great fortune could have befallen it in the depths of Hell. Hearing another disturbance of rock and gravel behind it, its gleaming grin turned feral as the outline of a similar being surfaced. Additional shifting building material disturbed the still night as more of its comrades broke through the makeshift catacomb. Whatever or whoever had brought them back, they were not going to disappoint. Not this time.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Slade paused in his work, sensing something…peculiar. He frowned at this new talent, not really knowing what it could mean. While he'd always had an uncanny ability to sense what others were going to do, he'd never been able to actually _feel_ them. Although this was definitely _not_ human. An aspect of his new gifts he hadn't been aware of, to be sure.

'Well now, we mustn't let it go to waste,' he mused, heading towards the functional surveillance console. Quickly he scanned the many screens, trying to pinpoint what could be causing the disturbance. Not satisfied with their displays, he entered a few coordinates on a hunch.

"There," he announced to no one in particular, and his cool tone took on a slight edge. "Of course, the old library." He watched on as a handful of creatures emerged from the decimated area, looking very much lost and bewildered, but eager as well. An amorphous idea congealed in his mind, and his scimitar-like blade flashed in anticipation. Perhaps he could have more fun with the Titans than originally thought. That is, if these...things…were agreeable. He eyed the glinting edge of his weapon. "We'll just _persuade_ them, if we find we must," he decided, and the two vindictive beings vanished in a blaze of flame.

------

They reappeared seconds later, just as the bulking forms were clambering away from their birthplace. Immediately assuming his familiar defensive stance, which to the untrained eye looked as if he was merely waiting for a cocktail, he addressed the startled beings.

"It has come to pass then," more a statement than a question.

The eldest creature held up his fist to stop the advancement of his battle-ready companions, and stared at the mere human who dared face them. And yet, his aura was not like others they had encountered. It was stronger. He did not give off the disgustingly pure sense of justice those damned Senshi and their masked male did though. In fact, the demon could feel that this daring man was very similar to them. But how could this be?

And that was when he noticed the long staff strapped across the mortal's back. It was an object he knew all too well, for it was what kept them imprisoned and admitted new entities cursed to eternal damnation. This only served to bring about more questions, for last he had known, the wretched artifact had been in the hands of another, the Guardian of the Gates, an invincible entity who was never to be seen without it. How had it ended up with this _man_?

"I assure you, I am not here to challenge you. Though even if you were all to attack me, I doubt very much that you accomplish very much," Slade cautioned as he brought forth his weapon. Many of the wicked creatures cringed and drew back, hissing at the unwelcome sight of the razor-sharp blade.

'_What is it that you want, Human?'_ the Highest questioned, not aloud, but in the armored man's mind.

If Slade was surprised at this form of communication, he did not show it. Not in a way that the creatures could see, at any rate. His unconcerned tone resounded once more. "It is because of me that you have all been freed. I believe thanks are in order."

The Highest would have laughed spitefully had it been said by someone without the Dreaded Blade in his possession. As it was, the object was proof of the validity of his statement. Though the youma was unsure as to how exactly this had come to pass, he had been well trained not to question those with and in power. He turned his head slightly to relay the assertion to those who did not understand the human's language.

Immediate uproar was the reaction of those less learned. "We serve none but The Queen!" "This pitiful human is playing a trick!" and other such comments were roared in their language. These were followed by retorts of "But he has the Weapon. The Guardian of the Gates is not easily defeated," and "It was his victory that freed us!"

While the others in his company argued amongst themselves, he addressed the masked man once more. _'We already serve One, if that is what you are suggesting, Human.'_

Slade tilted his head almost imperceptibly, a sign of puzzlement few were allowed to see. "Where is this master of yours then?" At the beast's hesitation, he went on. "If you were freed he must be around somewhere. Or perhaps he has forsaken you. Did you by chance fail him before?" A rumbling growl assured him he was on the right path, and he continued.

"Or perhaps he is ashamed. He is ashamed because it was not he who was able to free you from your fate. I was. My duties for you would not be very difficult; just some enjoyable entertainment. Of course, if you feel that you are not up the task, I could always send you back to your hellhole," and he emphasized the statement by raising his bladed staff.

'A shrewd human, is this one. He seems to be holding all of the cards…But perhaps we can benefit from this arrangement as well. At least until we find a better one,' and the beast's lips curled into a gruesome grin. He quickly barked out his assessment, the gruff tenor of his voice effectively ending all debate in the warrior band.

Not caring whether all of them had understood or agreed, the Highest turned back to the waiting fighter. He would explain it to them all later, if need be.

'_Very well, Human. We shall serve and carry out your will. You have our loyalty,'_ he conveyed as he bowed._ '_For now,' he added to himself.

Slade sneered maliciously behind his mask. "Excellent."

x-x-x-x-x-x

Back at the T-shaped tower, the warrior teens were oblivious to the fast approaching battles. Exhausted both physically and mentally, the issue of sleeping arrangements was given a temporary solution. While the Tower had dozens of 'free' rooms, most were being used as storage or were otherwise unfit to be living quarters in their current state. Two were cleaned up enough to be adequate for the night, however, and it was decided that Mars and Saturn would room in the one on Raven's level and Mercury and Jupiter in the one a floor below. Cots and blankets were dispersed, and they soon found themselves in dreamland, dreaming of whatever it was superheroes dreamt of.

Not all were able to find peace though, and instead struggled with disturbing visions and incessant worries. In the end, Saturn decided she would benefit more from a much needed conversation with her unfamiliar family member. She reached out along their almost non-existent link, and was surprised to find the person on the other end searching as well. She sent out a hesitant question, and received a quiet affirmation. Getting up silently so as not to awaken the sleeping priestess in the adjacent cot, the Soldier of Death exited the makeshift room and padded softly down the hall. The door marked 'Raven' slowly slid open upon her soft rapping, and the lone occupant moved aside to let the other in.

"Sorry if it's a little…dark," offered Raven as she noticed Saturn take in her surroundings.

"No, not at all. I quite like it." Saturn was surprised at what she could see in the dim candlelight and the similarities to her own room back home. The only thing really different was the lack of an overabundance of stuffed animals. Otherwise it was almost identical.

Sensing the truthfulness in the statement, Raven replied with a muted smile. "So, wanna sit down?" she asked as she indicated an overstuffed floor cushion by the fireplace.

Saturn accepted, and Raven took a place across from her. Taking the silence as an opportunity, Saturn began, "I know you have a lot of questions. I do too. We really have nothing to go on but our brief encounters, but I want _you_ to know that I'll tell you anything you want to know about me, even if you don't tell me anything about yourself."

Raven felt a bit uneasy at the skirted sailor's sincerity. She didn't really want this to be a question and answer session, though she wasn't about to start in on _her_ life story. Instead she chose a more neutral topic.

"Um, I appreciate that. And…thanks for helping them clean-up in there."

Saturn grinned. "Don't worry, we've cleaned up worse than that. You get really good at it when you hang around Usagi."

Raven couldn't help but smile with the frail-looking girl, even though she had no idea who this Usagi person was. "Who—"

"The Moon Princess, believe it or not. You'd think she'd be the embodiment of refinement, but you wouldn't be farther from the truth. Let me tell you about the time her boyfriend had to stay at Mars' temple…"(1)

And she went on to tell her the many tales of her beloved princess' more human side, along with a few of the more choice accounts of particular embarrassment to some of her teammates. Raven in turn told her some of Beast Boy's antics, Cyborg's infatuation with all things technical, and Starfire's unfamiliarity with some of Earth's customs, which couldn't be helped of course, but which were amusing nevertheless. She also warned her half-sister of the Tamaranian's culinary skills and her fondness of food from her home planet. The two sat and laughed and joked until the inky blackness of night sky diluted slowly into a more distinguishable color.

It was nowhere near the deep and insightful conversation they had hoped to have, but the exchange allowed both to feel a little more comfortable with the unusual situation which they had found themselves in, and that was a start.

------

Unbeknownst to the two, they were not the only ones who had not been able to sleep. Mars had awoken from a rather disturbing dream of Blood Fire and Resurrected Evil, with the very tangible weight of Fear bearing down upon her. She forced her breathing to steady, and looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. When she didn't see Saturn, she guessed that she was either exploring or speaking with her half-sister.

Now back in the safety of the realm of the living (though her feelings of security were to be tested soon) she allowed herself to think back to the nightmare which had pried her from much-needed sleep. It had been only the preliminary stages of a vision; merely feelings and emotions had been discernible. She would need to meditate if she wanted any explanations.

Sighing resignedly, she gazed around the space once more. Even a small blaze of her magical flames would be dangerous in this room full of fire hazards. Thinking that their hosts would not appreciate a fire in the middle of their living room either, she decided to forgo the scrying for the time being.

'Maybe if we clear out one of the other rooms, I could use that,' she thought to herself. Knowing that sleep was no longer an option either, she slowly rose from the cot and stretched, wondering about her next course of action.

She decided to just wing it, and explore a bit. Perhaps they had a meditation room of some sort. After about half an hour of searching though, she abandoned that theory. There were _way_ too many unmarked rooms, and she wouldn't feel right if she were to just check all of them. Walking a bit aimlessly, Mars eventually found herself in front of the roof-access stairs. Figuring it was as good a place as any, she typed in the code Cyborg had given them and emerged onto the top of the stronghold.

The stunning sight was breathtaking, in a very literal sense. Distant sounds of waves crashing on the rocks far below provided a natural symphony to accompany the sunrise which greeted her, and she felt herself drawn to the edge of the rooftop to look upon the glory. Utterly lost in the moment, she was completely startled when a voice spoke from behind her.

"It's really something, isn't it?"

Shaking herself from her daze, she turned to the masked teen, "Yeah. You guys are really lucky to live in a place like this. Although, it'd be nicer if there was more plant life." She hesitated, not knowing if she was interrupting a morning ritual of his or not.

Robin didn't seem to notice her apprehension, and instead leaned against the edge as well. He thought a bit, and then turned to face her. "I'm not in the way, am I?"

"No, of course not. I was actually just wondering the same thing."

"Nope. Just couldn't sleep. Besides, I like early mornings. How about you? Do you usually get up about now?"

Mars nodded. "Back in Tokyo, I lived at my grandfather's shrine. I'd have chores to do before lecture, so I _had_ to get up this early. I've gotten used to it though." She paused, curious. "What do you do?"

Robin looked at her, confused for a bit. After a moment, he turned back to stare over the bay. "I'm a Titan. It's kind of a twenty-four-seven job."

Now it was Mars' turn to look confused. "But…what about classes and everything? Family?" She cut herself short. "Wait, sorry. That was really nosy of me."

Robin's face remained impassive, but it took him a minute to reply. "It's okay. They're good questions. I don't really have any good answers though." Coming to a decision, he elaborated. "I've tried that whole double-life thing…tried to live both as Robin and his civilian counterpart." He turned to face her once again.

"It's not for me." And he left it at that.

Mars nodded, understanding. She'd often been privy to the very similar concerns of some of her teammates. They all wanted to be able to live normal lives, but it was getting harder and harder as the enemies they faced got stronger and stronger. They all knew what Fate had in store for them; though Pluto had explained to them enough times that Destiny was a fickle thing. Even the slightest alteration of the timeline could make, very literally, a world of difference.

Mars didn't put much stock in Fate in Destiny though. She didn't like the idea that she didn't have a say in how to live her own life. She had to believe that she had choices. She didn't _have_ to be a Senshi, she didn't _have_ to live a recluse life. But she did, because she preferred things that way.

And so, when some of her closest friends voiced their doubts in their ability to overcome such Forces, she stubbornly dismissed their fears and encouraged them to pursue their dreams; advice which they seemed to be following. Minako had just recently been signed to a prestigious record label, Makoto was giving cooking classes to try out some of the dishes she planned to use in her future restaurant and to train what she hoped would be the kitchen staff, and Ami was doing internship after internship while taking whatever classes she was allowed to at Tokyo University. The ice-wielder was fast becoming a legend in the medical community, and would achieve her goal of becoming one of Tokyo's finest doctors much sooner than expected, it seemed. Usagi, for her part, couldn't seem to find a job or course of study she really liked, though her grades, which had improved significantly in the last few years, gave her lots of options. Of course, it didn't hurt that she and Mamoru were two of Tokyo's most sought after models.

All of this came to mind as the sun climbed steadily higher in the painted morning sky. Never one to censor her opinions, she didn't figure that now was the time to break with tradition. "You know, you shouldn't have to feel as if you _need_ to be 'Robin' all of the time. Even with all of the monsters that attack our city, we still find time to do the things we like; most of the time we're not even transformed. It's hard, but it's also necessary to keep our sanity. We've all got things we're good at, and we don't let our duties smother them. You've probably already noticed that Mercury is the brains of the group. Jupiter is incredibly strong, and you'll never find a better chef. Saturn's the sweetest kid, and is much more powerful than she looks."

"What about you?"

Mars grimaced. "I've…been blessed—or cursed, depending on how you look at it—with the ability to receive visions. And I'm an empath, of sorts."

"Only when you're Mars?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "All of the time," she added more quietly.

"So, in a way, you're always on the job too. Even when you're not transformed, you've got abilities to fight the bad guys. Me wearing my uniform all the time is just my version of having _my_ abilities all the time. You're always Mars, whether or not you're in civilian attire."

Mars didn't quite like his logic. "Maybe I'm not a very good example," she flushed. "But," she relented, "I do see your point. I guess the one _I_ was trying to make was that you're allowed to be normal. Em…as normal as people like us can be. You're allowed to try to live your life the way you want it, not just the way others want or expect you to."

It was Robin's turn to color a bit as he picked a spot past her shoulder to stare at. "I do. I do have fun sometimes," he defended distractedly. Then, looking at her intently, he went on, sounding more determined than he felt. "This _is_ normal for me. I _am_ Robin. I've got too many people depending on me to be anyone or anything else. I've got a city and a team, friends, to protect. I might not have any special powers, but I make sure that my shortcomings don't become a problem. I train and study anything that I can use against the bad guys. If I make a mistake, it may cost someone their life. That's why I don't allow myself to make one. Or if I do, I take the steps necessary to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

"Being completely human isn't a weakness you should try to overcome. It's thinking that way that's your Achilles' heel," the Fire Senshi replied gently.

Robin spun away, jaw set. He knew there was truth in her words. But he also knew that he had every reason to think that way. Who was she to question his principles? He turned towards her again to say just that. "You know, you don't even know me, and already—" He paused, one of his senses on alert.

Mars, too, was still, and she slowly twisted towards the source of the interruption, eyes wide. She slowly broke into a smile, the first he'd seen.

"C'mon, let me prove to you that a 'normal' life has its advantages." And with that, she grabbed him by the wrist before he knew what was happening and dragged him to the stairs.

------

When they reached the kitchen area, they found every other Tower occupant already assembled around the table. Even Saturn and Raven, who had fallen asleep merely an hour before, had been drawn to one of the most incredible aromas known to mankind: Jupiter had made breakfast.

The culinary master hadn't cut any corners for the extravagant feast, even with the very limited amount of edible food she was able to scrounge up from the depths of the refrigerator and cabinets. Giving the last of her secret-recipe pancakes a final flip, she added a bit of garnish to the very last setting.

"Hope you guys don't mind I did this. I kinda used up the last of the food that was safe to eat," she chuckled a bit sheepishly, hand behind her head. Seeing that the others continued to stare, she added nervously, "I'm used to feeding a group with Usagi in it, so I might have made a little too mu—"

But the rest of her sentence was drowned out by the scarfing noises of eight hungry teens. She quickly rescued her own plate off the table. "I didn't know what some of that stuff was, but I tasted it, and it seemed alright. The berry-things made a really good sauce."

"Yu haf 'asdered thu ard o' brebaring dorka burrees," an overjoyed Starfire tried to say through a mouthful of her home planet's addicting berries.

"Mmmm-MMMMMM. This is fan-tabulous! What IS this stuff!" Cyborg exclaimed, holding up a forkful of the main entrée.

Jupiter smiled proudly. "It's tofu! My own secret recipe. Well, as close to it as I could get with the stuff you guys had."

"To…fu?" swallowed the human hybrid incredulously, staring at his plate. He thought a bit, and then shrugged. "It's awesome!"

"I TOLD you tofu rocked!" the triumphant vegetarian informed. Luckily his much larger teammate was too involved with his food to retaliate.

The only thing left after the forks and spoons stopped flying were nine satiated crime fighters, and some very clean plates. All and all, it was turning out to be a pretty good day. Robin had even decided to put off the morning training session to "allow the food to settle," as he had put it. They rolled themselves into the living room, putting off the rest of their To Do list to watch Cyborg and Beast Boy battle it out on the GameStation 2. They all took turns playing winners, laughing at Cyborg's shocked expression when Mercury not only beat him eight times in a row (best out of three had turned into best out of fifteen), but had knocked him out of first place on the high scores table. The two powerful teams may not yet have been the best of friends, but they were finding it very easy to get along.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Silvery moonlight spilled gently onto a pair of silent figures. The smaller of the two dozed softly, curled up at the foot of the rabbit covered bed. The other stared without really seeing, expression pensive. She knew she shouldn't be worried about her absent friends, but she couldn't help it. Jupiter had reported a few hours earlier, and thankfully there really weren't any disturbances yet. Other then getting off to a somewhat rocky start, they seemed to be doing rather well. Jupiter had signed off rather hastily, explaining that it was her turn to "kick some major GameStation butt."

Apprehension found its way into cerulean orbs, and not for the first time that day Usagi found herself thinking about 'what ifs.' She let out a soft sigh, all too aware that it was not a good train of thought she found herself on.

Sensing something amiss, her mentor awoke and glanced concernedly at her princess. "Hime?"

Another sigh escaped the pink lips of the addressed girl. "Luna," she began. Hesitating, she sat up.

Understanding that this wasn't going to be another rant session about how annoying her little brother Shingo was sometimes, the seemingly normal cat padded softly closer to her liege and waited for her to continue.

"Is what I do really right? I mean," she quickly went on to clarify, "I know that Sailor Moon protects the innocent and all. But is…killing the enemy…the right thing to do?"

Luna tilted her head, still not really comprehending what the golden-haired heroine was asking.

"Isn't there another way to deal with them? Didn't Mother have a prison? I'm sure there was a justice system of some kind. I don't think that criminals were just killed on the spot. What if they're not completely evil? What if I've been condemning innocent beings…to eternal suffering? Unnecessarily? What if—just given the chance—youmas could be good?"

The feline nodded, aware now of what had been troubling the youth. "Hime…Usagi. What you do is very noble. There is no need for you to second guess your duty, though I can understand why you have doubts." She paused, thinking of how best to address the girl's concerns. "You remember the Four Sisters, right?"

Two tendrils of silken hair fell forward as Usagi nodded. "Of course. We went to their cosmetic store not a week ago. I'm thinking about promoting their products. But," she went on, thinking she knew the point Luna was trying to make, "I healed them. I didn't destroy them. I gave them a chance, unlike the others. Who is to say they wouldn't have been healed as well?"

"Usagi, you must remember that youma are not the same as you and I. You have healed everyone that had a chance to be healed. A lot of the enemies we have faced were ordinary humans before, though I suppose you would stretch the definition of 'ordinary' with some of them. The important aspect of that is that they _were humans_. Youma have always been youma. They were only meant to serve whatever evil being created them. Most of them were experiments of Beryl's when she first began to study the forsaken Black Arts. They know nothing but the wickedness which brought them into being. It courses through their blood, black as the Arts which begot them."

Luna went on, seeing that her answer hadn't fully satisfied the pink-pajamaed girl. "The Ginzuishou does not possess powers of Destruction, in its most basic sense. Instead, you wield the powers of Life and Rebirth. Whatever and whomever you use it on is not 'killed,' as you might think. They are 'cleansed,' so to speak. You eradicate only the evil. And that means the entire youma is eliminated, because there is no good to be found within them.

"There is no chance for them to 'turn good,' for they are incapable of such a thing. Indeed, if you were to introduce even a small amount of virtue into their bodies, it would probably eat away at them." Luna smiled as only cats can as she looked upon the human's face, acceptance faintly discernable.

"Ah, Hime. You are truly worthy of your title. Your benevolence towards all beings is one of your greatest strengths. But do you understand why it cannot be so with those creatures?"

Usagi stared back once more on the full moon holding steadfast in its velvety display. She was relieved that there was logic behind her actions, though she still was not completely comfortable with the reasoning. She smiled gently at the small adviser and then leaned over to place a small kiss upon the glimmering crescent upon her forehead.

"Thank you, Luna," was her reply. "I feel…more comfortable with it."

Luna purred softly. "Try not to think too much more on it tonight. You need your rest. There's no telling when an attack will come."

A yawn kept the leader from replying, so instead she nodded, and fell back upon her fluffy pillow. Luna stayed curled against the girl's stomach until she felt the familiar rhythm that indicated she had entered her sleep cycle. Now it was the neko's turn to stare at the moon. She eventually allowed sleep to claim her, but not before asking her own 'what ifs.' In contrast to her liege, however, hers were about the future, and about whether the girl had actually acknowledged her explanation. She could only hope that any lingering doubts did not interfere when the time came when she would once again be called upon to 'kill,' as she had so delicately put it, those beings which threatened their very existence.

x-x-x-x-x-x

On the other side of the world, there was an individual who was having no such moral dilemmas. He had been working with a few of his new cohorts, and was pleasantly surprised that they had been trained rather well. Their prior ruler must not have utilized all of their servant's abilities if they had been defeated. Well, this master was not going to make the same mistake.

"Zelquor," he called out over the sounds of fury emitting from the sparring fighters.

The largest among them stepped away from the horde, right fist across his chest as he bowed his acknowledgement. _'Yes, Master Slade?'_

The answering grin was unseen. 'This is certainly something I can get used to,' the addressed man reflected. "You and your…men…are doing exceptionally well. I must say that I'm impressed."

The Highest gave no indication he accepted the compliment. He would have had every right to, however. If Slade had known anything about the prior hierarchy of which the beasts had been a part of, he would have known that Zelquor was among Queen Beryl's elite, ranked only behind the Generals themselves. It was he who had trained those who were chosen for the energy-gathering missions. Although to be fair, the Generals had always opted to select his weaker constituents. Not only was there a limited amount of power which could be used to sustain them at the time, the Generals, among other things, did not wish to run the risk of having their power usurped. They knew that anybody else's success was their failure. Beryl had relied on her High Generals almost exclusively, but never scorned the proven skills of her Highest and the Special Forces he trained. (2) Not only was he an extremely capable leader, Zelquor was also extremely loyal. Had things gone as planned, he would not have been so underappreciated by the Generals. But as it was, the trainer remained motionless, waiting for his temporary master to continue.

"I think we can initiate the first phase of my plan within a few hours. I want you to choose your most inexperienced fighters for this mission. I don't want to end the Titans mercifully. I want them to see what they're up against. Make them feel hopeless, ineffective, while their beloved city is torn apart piece by piece. Meet me in an hour with your chosen, and I shall introduce you to your targets and inform you of the details of my plan.

Zelquor gave a sickly sneer and nodded, turning back to his fighters to carry out his order. 'Perhaps we shall have some fun after all.'

x-x-x-x-x-x

Music blared from the oversized speakers in the living room. After a few hours of fun and games, the teams had decided that it was time to get to work. It was no training session, but cleaning was still not considered an easy task. It was amazing how much junk five unsupervised teens could accumulate.

The kitchen, having been cleaned up the night before, only had the breakfast dishes to deal with. Mars, Saturn, and Raven had set to work on a corner room to make it into a sort of meditation chamber. Mercury was helping Robin upgrade the obstacle course, and Beast Boy and Starfire were 'cleaning up' the rooms where the Senshi were, hopefully, going to sleep that night. The comical Changeling was getting distracted with finding _way_ too many of his old toys and games, including his "Count With Me" monkey that he was supposed to have gotten rid of. Starfire was wheezing with laughter at his antics, and the gifted boy was only too happy to oblige. Jupiter and Cyborg had gotten back from grocery shopping a little earlier. He'd gotten a crash course in exotic foods, and was eager to show her a few recipes of his own: "I bet you'll love my finger-lickin' ribs marinated in my special CY-BQ sauce, and my homemade spaghetti with my patented triple-meat sauce!"

They were just about finished putting away the last of their wares when Jupiter yelled out in surprise. Within seconds the scattered T-Tower inhabitants reached the sight of the disturbance, although there was some confusion in getting through the too-small hallway frame.

"What happened?" asked Robin, who had several bird-a-rangs ready to launch, shutting off the music.

"I was…it was…I saw a—_thing_," Jupiter spluttered out. She was not easily shaken, but what she had encountered was way beyond what one would expect to find in a cupboard. And it had _licked_ her!

Cyborg went over to the cabinet which stood ajar in front of her, sonic blaster held at the ready. Not seeing anything right away, he scanned it for any signs of life.

"Whatever it was, it's not there any more," he informed seriously. "My scanners aren't picking anything up."

"Um…what exactly did you see?" Beast Boy asked, nervously tapping the tips of his index fingers together.

"It looked like a...maggot," Jupiter thought aloud. "It was about as long as my arm though! Even with all the mess you guys had, I don't think it's possible for them to get that big. It could have been a pet!"

At this remark, the Titans burst out with laughter.

Jupiter frowned, not knowing what exactly was going on, but understanding that they weren't exactly laughing _with_ her. "Am I missing something!" she asked, getting a bit annoyed.

"This _thing_ of which you speak," Starfire choked out between fits of giggles. "It is closer to your comments than you might think. Do not fear, Friend Jupiter, for it is—"

But she was cut off by cry at the back of the hallway crowd, which still hadn't gotten completely through the doorway.

"—nothing that would cause you danger," the alien rushed on. "For it is merely Silkie, who is indeed our pet."

But there was another yelp, this time of pain, and those who could, looked towards the source. Mars was doubled over, eyes unfocused.

"Mars?" Raven asked uncertainly.

"It's _them_," was all Mars could ground out between clenched teeth.

As if to emphasize her point, a familiar shrill ringing filled the space, and red lights flashed.

"Titans, trouble!" Robin barked out, drawing the attention back on him. He turned towards Mercury, who had already located the cause on her mini-computer.

"The disturbance is coming from High St. and Fifth. The readout doesn't seem to match any of the criminals in your database. And there seems to be a lot of civilians around; we need to hurry."

Robin nodded, already heading towards the garage. "That's not too far away. Mars, are you okay?" he called out over his shoulder.

A muffled "Yes" was his reply.

"Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire…you guys are going to have to fly there. The rest of you are with Cyborg. I'll use my usual method."

The teens rushed to follow his orders, apprehensive for the upcoming encounter. As they sped away towards the city, they all worried about the kinds of monsters that Hell had spat back out. Robin was fast-working on a plan, as per usual. Sensing his fellow fighter's uneasiness, he resolved to give out extra encouragement during the approaching battle. Though he could only hope it would be enough.

* * *

Ah hah hah! The power of the cliffies… :) 

As for the little numbers in the chapter:

(1) I absolutely LOVE this episode. I first saw it in Spanish. "Pero tu lo vistes!" Tee hee. Priceless. Not nearly as effective in English, though. If you don't know which one I'm talking about, e-mail me and I'll give you a brief synopsis.

(2) Every time the series shows a span of Beryl's throne room, we see thousands and thousands of monsters in the shadows. There's no way they all had a round with the Senshi! Shoot, we didn't even know about the Doom and Gloom Girls until the final showdown, really. And they were able to actually kill the scouts! So obviously, Beryl had some kick-ass baddies she didn't use when she could have.

Oh yes, and on a side- side note, I did try to put in the time difference. Usagi's scene is going on at pretty much the same time as Slade's training session. ;)

I'm really proud of this chapter, but I don't know how many of you are going to like it. I suppose it's because it has a bit more background and insight than plot. I tried (and probably failed) to delve into the unexplored psyches of some of our favorite characters. I drew some of it (especially the stuff on Mars) from the PGSM Live Action series. I also tried really hard to explain why things are the way they are in the shows. I'll be posting the next chapter pretty soon to make up for that and my, um…short…hiatus. Hey, I only had two weeks of summer vacation! But I got 22 hours under my belt, so woot! Hope you guys are still interested in this, especially with the new season of Teen Titans coming out on the 24th! Post it on your calendar, people. And don't forget to let me know what you think!

I'm thrilled with the fact that some of you have already reviewed. A thousand bows to **Tenshi-of-Saturn**, **leogirl45**, **i laugh at you**, **Kristin398**, **moon-bunny735**, and **Gundum M**! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks again for the input **Suuki-Aldrea**. And to **Serenity-hime** and **elefly**, special cookies for you for understanding where I'm coming from on the whole Mamoru thing! I read each and every review, and as you can tell, I definitely use some of the ideas you guys bring up. Keep 'em coming!

Ja!

-flarescence

Edited 9/26/05


	5. Collaborations

Hmm…so not exactly the quick release I promised in the last chapter. Heh…silly college.

Also, I did some major revamp work—as far as wording goes—on the previous chapter. I'll admit that I overlooked quite a number of simple mistakes in my haste to get the chapter out. Overused pronouns seemed to be its biggest fault. Oh well, I think I've fixed most of the problems. Still nothing you absolutely _have_ to go back and read; just know that it flows a little better and is a lot closer to what I really wanted to say.

So…I see there aren't that many takers on the direction my story is going. Hopefully this chapter will bring in more reviews. The new Teen Titan season that just finished should generate some interest too. Although I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed by what I saw.

Disclaimer: Really, this seems a bit unnecessary by now…

* * *

Chapter Five: Collaborations 

The late afternoon sun bathed the shopping district in an eerie red light; to the Titans an uncomfortable reminder of their last battle with Trigon. Screaming city-dwellers ran past the teen heroes as they reached their destination, signifying that they were definitely getting closer to whoever or whatever their target was. As they reached the top of the next incline in the hilly street, the source of the disturbance came into full view.

Robin couldn't help but give a confident smirk, and flicked on his com. "Senshi, stay inside. This guy's ours."

"You're joking, right?" Jupiter scoffed, narrowing her eyes at the Boy Wonder on the T-car's video screen.

None of the rest of the Titans seemed to be too concerned with the current adversary either, though. In fact, they all seemed relieved…eager, even. Not quite the reaction the Senshi had expected when they first caught sight of the tuxedoed figure wreaking havoc on a corner street ATM.

"You sure that's one of yours? He looks a bit on the freaky side. And he's got powers. Definitely the standard M.O. of the kind we go up against," Jupiter reasoned as she crossed her arms in annoyance.

"We get a few of those too," Cyborg defended as he parked some lengths away. "This'll just take a minute. So just sit back and relax ladies, and watch how the Teen Titans do it in our little part of the world," he grinned at them, charging up his sonic blaster.

Jupiter was about to reply to this physically when an embarrassed looking Mercury pulled her back. "We're only here to help them with _our_ enemies. They can handle theirs. Besides, I'm sure you'd be disappointed. I just double checked his stats, and it doesn't seem like there's much more to him than his wand."

Mars bit her lip worriedly as a "Teen Titans, Go!" was heard in the distance. "I don't know, Mercury. I'm still getting a bad feeling about this. It wasn't a very 'disappointing' impression I got back at the Tower. Even if this guy isn't what caused it, whatever did is still out there." She closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

Always the quiet one, Saturn merely nodded her agreement as she caught Mercury's eye.

The Ice Guardian's expression turned pensive as she looked out of the car windows towards the fracas. Though she couldn't help but abandon her train of thought as she gazed in wonder at the proficiency of their hosts. Whatever doubts she had in their abilities beforehand were now irrelevant as she watched while Starfire shot down blazing energy disks around and behind the bizarre magician, Robin and Cyborg did a dual frontal attack, and Raven and Beast Boy closed in from the sides. Even as the man with the peculiar tint managed to launch a street sign at the charging changeling and repel Cyborg with a flurry of feathers which streamed forth from his inverted top hat, the others on the superhero team shifted positions to compensate. Even Jupiter had abandoned her irritated look and adopted one of appreciation.

Mars' eyes suddenly shot open, and she hurriedly unbuckled. "We have to help them!"

Brows knitted in confusion, Jupiter wondered allowed, "Why? They seem to be doing pretty well on their own. It looks like the guy's just about to surrender."

"It's not him I felt," Mars shouted back to her without elaboration as she practically kicked opened the passenger-side door.

Indeed, the true disturbance had decided to make itself known to the diverted teens, who only had the suspicious laughter of their current adversary as a warning. With the advantage of surprise, a handful of small spiked balls were launched in their general direction and exploded as they landed at the feet of the gathered Titans, scattering them in all directions.

The felled fighters turned shocked faces towards the origin of the mini-bombs.

"Titans, regroup! Looks like we've got another one who wants to play," Robin called as he took stock of their new opponent. It didn't look especially formidable; rather like a gerbil on steroids. About Johnny Rancid's build and height, and his air of arrogance as well. But Robin knew more than most that looks could be deceiving, and was not about to underestimate the overgrown rodent.

Raven and Starfire took to the air in preparation for another clash, only to be brought down by a metal chain and a thrashing mace. Beast Boy, who had started to run after a fleeing Mumbo Jumbo, also found himself thwarted, this time by punching spike-knuckled fists. Cyborg fell backwards trying to avoid a large swinging metal pole and a large knife blade kept Robin from helping his downed teammates.

"Seemz like we surprized youz guyz," the first gerbil-like thug leered, as his five cronies closed in on the disorientated adolescents. "We sher do like surprizes."

"Then you'll love us," shouted a strong female voice. All heads turned towards the four recently arrived participants standing against the crimson sunset.

Not waiting for introductions, the shadowed group ran the last few yards towards the shocked brutes. Using surprise to _their_ advantage this time, the Titans dispersed, allowing the Mars and Jupiter to launch their elements at the stationary gerbil-humans.

It wasn't just the sudden appearance of new adversaries that had petrified the monstrous gang; it was _who_ those new opponents were. They had seen enough pictures of them during training to recognize the ridiculously short skirts and bright bows as belonging to those of the Sailor Senshi. But the dreaded warriors were supposed to be halfway around the world, according to Zelquor.

As the band was shocked and singed in turn, uncertainty evolved into fury. _They_ were the ones that had demolished their home realm, _they_ were the ones that had destroyed their Queen, and _they_ were the ones whose actions had sent them to Hell. While the simple-minded creatures may not have been able to understand the intricacies of how and why their rivals were there, they _did_ know what hate felt like, and could fathom what to do with that most volatile of emotions: use it to destroy those who had caused them all of their troubles.

Shrugging off the effects of the attack, the six hybrids gave an enraged war cry and launched themselves at the opposing girls.

Not expecting such a dramatic change in behavior, the two pairs had to break their formation to dodge the oncoming assailants. More concussion bombs impeded a clean evasion, and the element-wielders struggled to regroup.

"We've gotta help them! Titans, GO!"

Cyborg sent off a burst of his own blue energy towards the fray, knocking away the gerbil-human with the mace who was about to attack a preoccupied Mercury ducking beneath a swinging chain. Jupiter kicked away the swinging blade, but was hit from behind with the one with the metal pole. She crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath like a fish out of water, and Saturn moved in to block another blow with her glaive. Mars was using her Fire Soul attack to keep the last two goons from getting close enough to attack her. The downside to this was that one didn't have to get close to use mini-bombs either, and she soon found herself thrown backwards from several blasts.

"Oh no, you do not!" cried out a livid Starfire, showering down several damaging bolts towards the two towering over the vulnerable Jupiter and glaive-swinging Saturn. Although they hit their mark, Saturn was standing too near not to be affected as well. Starfire gasped and flew down to check on the smaller girl.

Beast Boy had turned into a falcon and was streaking towards the beast that had attacked him earlier. He pulled up at the last minute, and quickly transformed into a weighty elephant, only to be shot in the back by a semi-recovered Mars.

"Beast Boy!" she cried out, stumbling towards the reverted figure with the burning bottom running around in circles.

Mercury had evaded her opponents and now rushed to help, sending a cold cloud which calmed the flames grieving the purple-clad boy.

Once again using preoccupation to their advantage, chain-gerbil and pole-gerbil closed in to attack to the distracted teens, only to confront Robin and Jupiter, who had by now caught her breath. The two executed a series of well placed punches and kicks, effectively driving back their opponents.

"We need to get them together so we can finish this," Robin ordered.

"No! We need to keep them apart. They're more dangerous if they're together," she argued. (1)

Robin quickly flipped behind her, expanding his bo-staff and spinning it with dizzying speed to deflect a batch of spiked bombs.

"Get down!" she ordered, already running towards him.

Robin managed a confused look before he felt himself being pushed down as Jupiter used him as a launching pad to jump kick 'Chain'. His instincts kicked in as he stiffened against the foreign weight and pushed up against it.

Unfortunately Jupiter was not expecting this move, and it threw off her balance. Her projected path shifted, but at the last minute she twisted and was able to land a solid hit on her quarry. Landing a bit unsteadily she rolled to the side to avoid being an easy target.

A few feet away Saturn continued sparring with Pole. Though she was by far the more agile fighter, each blow she blocked sent powerful tremors down her arms, causing her to tire. Noting that there was a moment of lag time right before he sent down his metal rod in an attack, she sprang up from her crouched position during one of these opportunities and sent the butt of her glaive into his unprotected stomach. He staggered backward, seeing stars.

"Azarath…Metrion…ZINTHOS!" Raven shouted out, using her power to yank away the weapons of the unbalanced Chain and Pole.

Mercury quickly moved in to finish the pair by creating a layer of ice under their unsteady feet. Unfortunately Cyborg had the same idea, but was using the more hands-on approach. As a result, he too found himself on his back.

Once Robin had seen that two of their adversaries were down, he jumped back into the ensuing fray and soon found himself battling with Knife, whom Mars had been holding off with her fireballs. Starfire was occupying herself with shooting practice, making sure that none of Bomb's choice of weapons hurt any of her comrades. Saturn was utilizing her prior tactic with Mace, and was just about finished with her battle. Knuckles and Jupiter were locked in a scuffle of their own. While Jupiter was one of the better hand-to-hand fighters of her team, she hadn't accounted for the fact that Knuckles' spikes could expand and contract on his command. This was making it extremely difficult to judge dodging distance, and had several cuts to show for her miscalculations.

Raven had had a large trash bin in the grips of her power ready to throw for quite some time, but knew that the Senshi were not used to avoiding this type of attack. Judging from the way the battle had been going, she knew it was not a good idea to launch an arsenal of heavy objects until she was absolutely certain it was clear to do so.

Beast Boy saw an opening for one of his attacks though, and used his triceratops form to plow down the otherwise engaged Bomb. He quickly morphed into a squawking parrot to avoid a slicing Knife.

An unoccupied Saturn brought down her own weapon on the offending blade, and a drop-kick from Robin effectively put the threat out of commission.

Mars and Starfire had gone over to help Jupiter surround Knuckles, and moved in to attack. Miscalculating whose attack would be a bluff, they all had to duck to avoid each others' missed powers. Raven finally saw this as her opening and launched the heavy arsenal caught in her spell.

Mercury, who had just barely been able to free the helpless Cyborg from her ice trap, yelled for the others to "Step back!" and shouted out one of her older attacks. Freezing winds whipped by her, and try though they did, the six beings it was directed at could not block it. After several moments, the angry gerbil-humans were completely enclosed in individual icy tombs. A somewhat worn Saturn used tendrils of her own power to bind each chunk of ice while tying the opposite ends to the end of her weapon. Once she nodded her signal, Mars and Jupiter called forth their elements and aimed them towards Saturn's glaive, which amplified and channeled the power towards its intended targets.

Raven put up a wall of dark energy to protect the thoroughly intimidated Titans from the shards of ice that flew in all directions, and Beast Boy decided then and there to avoid any serious confrontations with any of their new guests. He might even have to avoid playing any practical jokes on them…

'Nah, I'll just cross that bridge _if_ I get to it,' he thought to himself as he pulled his ostrich head from the ground.

"Um, Boo…yah?" offered Cyborg uncertainly with a wary glance towards their leader.

Robin didn't _exactly_ look very pleased. "Why did you destroy them? They should have been taken into custody! What right do you have t—"

"Hey, we'll deal with our guys OUR way just like you deal with your guys YOUR way," challenged Jupiter as she took a step forward.

Robin blinked; not only was he not used to being interrupted, he was also very much aware of how hard their recent battle had been, how powerful their new foes were, and even more importantly, how powerful their new 'allies' were.

"I don't care how you did things back in _your_ country, but here we have LAWS that have to be followed, laws about how to deal with criminals. They had a right to a trial, and a chance for rehabilitation if found guilty. You can't just KILL everything that does something wro—"

"What the hell were you going to charge them with? Youmas are not _your _average petty criminals," Jupiter retorted with a sneer.

"Please, I am afraid I must agree with Robin," Starfire input hesitantly. "Why is it that you did not allow the 'yow-mais' to offer their 'point-of-views' or to relay their story of the life? Perhaps they had no other choice but to attack."

This question made even Jupiter a bit uncomfortable, but she wasn't about to show it. "You think we've lasted this long by asking each of our enemies to tell us their life _stories_? Of course not! Whenever we find a bad guy, we destroy it without wasting time asking stupid questions."

"Just like you almost did earlier with Raven?"

A sharp intake of breath from Mars was the only sound offered to air already thick with tension.

"Although they weren't exactly innocent, that doesn't change the fact that you _murdered_ them," Robin continued in a low voice.

Even if his narrowed eyes been had been wide open he could not have seen what happened next. In two quick moves and as many half-seconds he found himself punched down with what seemed to be the force of Zeus himself and picked up roughly by his collar.

"You should learn not to make such careless statements about things of which you know nothing about," Jupiter growled dangerously before anyone had the chance to shake themselves from their shock.

The rest of the Titans couldn't seem to decide whether or not to attack the livid warrior, or how to do it without making things worse. Mercury bit her lip and frowned at the situation, and Saturn cast her eyes sadly to the ground.

"Jupiter…put him down," Mars calmly stated.

At her words, Jupiter seemed to realize what she was doing. She glared at the masked leader once more, and then shoved him into Starfire. Saturn stepped forward and put a small gloved hand on the green-suited Senshi's shoulder. Jupiter shrugged it off and started to walk away. Mars glanced over at Mercury who nodded, and then quickly followed the taller girl.

Nobody moved until the two were out of sight. Then Mercury stepped forward and gave them a deep bow.

"I'm terribly, terribly sorry about that." Another bow. "Really, I can't apologize for her behavior enough. It's just that…I thought we had explained about the youma well enough…"

Robin, who couldn't rather than wouldn't reply, merely gave her a hard stare.

Saturn stepped forward and bowed in apology as well. "You see, these youma are supposed to be dead."

"But they're not anymore," Cyborg asserted. It wasn't very hard for him to decide whose side to be on.

"Youma are monsters, demons. They are not subject to human laws, because they'd never allow themselves to be. The only way to ensure they don't hurt anyone else is to destroy them. I assure you that there is not a more humane way to manage them," Mercury tried to explain as she crafted a piece of ice for Robin to place on his already swelling face.

"It is our _duty_ to destroy them, because they threaten the life of our Princess and Future Queen. Which is why Jupiter became so angry when you implied that we were…murderers," Saturn whispered. "By doing so you also implied that our pledge, all of our deeds, and indeed our reason for being, was dishonorable. It was one of the worst insults you could have ever used against us…"

"We do save those we are able to; Sailor Moon has the power to cleanse certain beings. But the type we just battled are not of that sort. And most likely neither will the ones we have yet to encounter."

Robin gave no indication he was even listening as he started to walk towards his R-cycle. Starfire looked like she was about to say something, but then decided against it. A look of worry marred her pretty face as she watched him peel away.

Mercury turned a somewhat perturbed face to the others. "We are sorry if this bothers you, but you must understand that it _is_ necessary. I'll…understand if you no longer wish to help us. We will not force you to associate with us. As we explained earlier, we will stay in your city only while there continues to be a threat. After that we will go back to Tokyo."

The Changeling couldn't stand it anymore. "No way! Those guys were way tough! We might not have powers like you do, but we can help! Robin might be a bit, um…miffed about what just happened, but I'm sure now that you've explained things to him, he'll understa—"

Cyborg stopped the younger Titan's declaration with a single look. It fell upon the larger teen to take over when their leader wasn't around, but even so he didn't feel right making this type of decision, considering what had just happened. "Look guys, I'm all for you staying with us, and even more for us helping you out. But it's not my call."

Starfire looked disappointed. "I, too, feel it would be best to help our new friends."

"I think we should all just head back to the Tower. I'm sure Robin'll come back once he's ridden of some steam. Then we can decide what to do next."

Seeing they could do little else at this point, Beast Boy, Mercury, and Saturn took Cyborg's offer for a ride, with Raven and Starfire following in the air.

It was a quiet ride to their headquarters and home; even the former Doom patrol member knew there wasn't really anything to joke about.

'So much for teamwork…' he thought sullenly.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"What happened? Who were those girls?" an incensed Slade asked an equally outraged Zelquor in their base of operations.

'_My lord, those are the _despicable_ Sailor Senshi, the same group that managed to grieve our previous ruler. The reason for our current state of affairs,'_ the youma leader spat. _'My men and I feel it is our duty to destroy them and avenge our fallen comrades from present and past. Allow us to attack them now!'_

Slade raised an eyebrow to show his mild alarm. "This is a most unexpected request, Zelquor. I thought you of all beings would have learned about the intricacies of war. Your quest for revenge is most understandable. But the way you intend to go about doing it is rather…disappointing."

Zelquor snarled in shocked anger, dubious as to what the armored man meant.

"For example, are you absolutely certain those are the same girls that destroyed your…Negaverse, was it? And if so, what are they doing here in Jump City? I thought you said they resided in Tokyo?"

Zelquor turned to glare at the figures pictured in several screens. _'Master that is the same group. The green one is Jupiter. The one in red is Mars, the one in blue Mercury…' _he trailed off as he eyed the smallest of the four.

'_The last one should be in orange. Sailor Venus. I…do not recognize her.'_ Zelquor grudgingly admitted. After studying other repeating video clips of the battle, he noticed something else as well. _'Their attacks are different as well,'_ he went on, confused.

"So, what you are telling me is that you are ready to wage war on an opponent of which you know hardly anything at all?" Slade smiled behind his mask at the absence of a reply. He had been formulating a new plan of action based on what he had just observed about the battle. It was now imperative that he had the complete cooperation of his new 'associates.'

"Here is what I think, though you understand it is just speculation on my part. Clearly, time flows very differently out here in the world than in your previous…residence. I learned this on my many journeys there. Isn't it possible then, that your enemies had time to become stronger and to learn new things? They obviously have a new member. But have they used her as a replacement or as an addition? If she has been added to the group, do you know exactly how many there are in total?

"And to bring up an earlier question, why are they here? Did they sense what was happening? That would mean we have very much to learn from our foes. Only a complete fool would go into a fight against an opponent without trying to understand exactly what they are capable of."

Zelquor growled at the insinuation. _'How do you plan to go about gathering that information, _Master_ Slade?'_

"I believe we should move slowly, to test them. See what they can do. Perhaps we should send out a slightly stronger group, and see if they call for any reinforcements. Of course…" Slade paused, as another thought came to him. "Zelquor, what do you say about sending another group to your old haunt as well? If those girls are the only 'Senshi,' perhaps you'll find Tokyo a bit more accommodating than last time."

Zelquor couldn't help but feel a bit less on edge as he realized just what exactly Slade was suggesting. 'I did not make the wrong decision after all.'

"This way we can see just what plans we must modify," Slade continued, grinning a secret grin as Zelquor considered.

"Mumbo Jumbo was most agreeable in aiding us. I will contact another who I'm sure will be so inclined. I require two groups for this assault; one for our humble city, and one for yours. I trust you have enough of the energy necessary for this endeavor?"

'_Only enough to send a small group. But once there, they will be able to acquire more.'_

"Then let us begin."

x-x-x-x-x-x

Waves lapped lazily against weathered stones and the booted feet of two girls. The last tentacles of sunlight seemed eager to abandon the large tower, as if it too could not stand the ill feelings borne from it.

Saturn sighed. "What do you think Robin will say when he comes back?" She had been going over all possible scenarios in her head, and none looked too promising.

Raven thought for a bit. "I'm pretty sure he'd still let us help you. He understands that your threats are our threats as well."

The Senshi of Death nodded her confirmation. "I'm pretty sure of that too. I'm more worried about whether or not he'd be against us talking to each other any more than necessary. I don't know when we'd get the chance again."

Her half-sister nodded, understanding that Saturn was worried about how the campaign against her team's old adversaries might turn out. "Well, he might be our leader, but he doesn't exactly rule our lives. I'll still 'associate' with you no matter what he says."

She hugged her knees to her chest and wrapped her cloak more securely around herself. Looking over at the soldier next to her doing the same, she went on, "Besides, I still have a lot of questions about you guys." Noticing the questioning look that was her reply, she clarified, "How were you able to live on your planets? Weren't they uninhabitable back then too? If it really was all based on enchantments, you must have known some incredibly gifted magic-wielders. Were you trained in the Arts? Is that what your powers are? What else can you guys do? What exactly did you mean by 'Crystal Tokyo'? Can others learn what you know, or were you chosen? If so, how—?"

"Wait!" Saturn giggled, putting up her hands in mock surrender. "That's a lot of questions alright. Um…I can answer some, but a lot of what happened during the Silver Millennium is a bit hazy. Pluto says we're not really ready to remember everything."

"That's the one that guards Time, right?"

"Mmhmm…We hardly see her though. She has a lot to look over, after all. And even though a lot of the others get mad for what she doesn't tell us, I think she gets more upset at whatever Powers keep her from doing so."

"Sounds frustrating, having the power to See All but not Tell All…"

"The thing is I'm pretty sure she helps us out more than she's supposed to. And she's been spending a lot more time away from the Gates lately. It makes me wonder if—"

A demanding beep issuing from her communicator stopped her from continuing with her theory. "Mars?"

"Saturn, where are you guys?"

"The T-Tower. Where are you and Jupiter?"

Mars let out an exasperated sigh. "That girl is hard to keep up with. She didn't exactly appreciate my 'condolences.' But I think we're ready to head back. Is Robin there yet?"

"Nope, he—" the trademark sound of the R-cycle approaching the base caused her to amend her statement. "I take it back, he just got here."

She and Raven looked on as Mars turned to address something outside of the view screen.

"Alright, let's get this over with. We'll be there in five minutes."

------

Ten minutes later, the two groups were fully congregated in the living area of the Teen Titan's home awaiting the 'verdict,' per se. It was no surprise that certain people were taking extra care to avoid acknowledging each other, though it did not help alleviate the apprehension.

Robin looked over each of the assembled fighters, lingering for a moment when he caught Raven's eye, which caused her to visibly relax. Due to their link, she was able to surmise what he was about to do, and gave him a grateful smile.

"I think I should apologize about earlier. It's just that what I saw happen, as I understood at the time, went against everything we do, everything our team stands for. I'm sorry I wound up offending everything _you_ represent."

"I am pleased you had a change of the heart, Robin," Starfire smiled.

"I wasn't planning on it. As it was, I asked some friends of mine to check into your story. They gave me information about your activities in Tokyo. It seems you have been at it for a while.

"I also requested that they check the composition of some of the monsters, er…youma, that you've been up against, to see if they really can't be treated differently."

"But not even the police would have that kind of information! They're constantly giving the public some made-up story about a sickness or something that causes hallucinations and faintness," Mars interjected.

"The only way you could have gotten any data of that sort is if you…" Mercury left the rest of her sentence unfinished as she came to her conclusion, and immediately started checking her ever-present device.

Robin gave a wry smile. "You're not the only one with a supercomputer and the skills to use it. I'm sorry about that too. I just had to know if we were really doing the right thing in helping you guys. It turns out I was. (2)

"So here's the deal: We'll continue to assist in your mission, if you'll allow us, and you're welcome to stay. But first and foremost, we have a lot of work to do. Today's battle showed us just how different our groups are in everything from tactics, to fighting style. If we want to ensure nobody gets hurt the next time there's an attack, we're going to have to work and train together as one team."

"Yeah, no kidding. My butt didn't appreciate being barbequed," the still singed boy joked, extremely thankful that things worked out the way they did and hoping to clear away any last feelings of uneasiness.

Mars grinned as a mental picture of Beast Boy's bum on a grill yelling and complaining entered her mind. "Next time, watch where you're landing."

"Well excuse ME for not being used to arrows of _fire_ flying at me from all directions," the disgruntled animal-morpher defended, emphasizing his point by pointing everywhere so fast it seemed he had at least twenty arms.

"One arrow, ONE direction," Mars corrected, not willing to allow him to have the last word.

The carefree Titan held up an accusing finger and took a deep breath to prepare for his comeback, except that he couldn't think of one once he realized she was telling the truth. Instead, he settled on the classic attack of the sticking-out-of-the-tongue persuasion, and Mars was only too happy to return his opening fire in kind.

Saturn sighed theatrically. "Feels like home…"

* * *

Numbers/Notes: 

(1) If you think about it, these two teams have really different strategies. The Senshi have had multiple opponents a couple of times, when they all squared off with their counterpart in the final battles. They're used to doing things this way, whereas the Titans routinely deal with only one guy at a time. One main guy, anyway; lackeys don't count. So, it makes sense that Robin would focus on trying to get them all in one spot, so they can focus their attacks as usual.

(2) Heh heh…can you guess who he turned to for advice and help?

This chapter didn't come as easily as my earlier ones. The fight/argument scenes (i.e. the majority of the chapter) were especially onerous. That being said, this might not be on the same level as my others. Gomen nasai! -.- Hopefully I'll get the next ones out sooner to make up for it, ne? ;)

Have any comments, concerns, observations, questions, suggestions, _recipes_! Please don't hesitate to post them by using the little review button at the bottom of the screen. And as a small incentive, I'm going to start asking specific questions at the end of each chapter, though that by no means limits what you can write about.

**_Question_**: If there was just one thing you could change about this story, what would it be? It could be the addition of a character (Senshi or Titan), the exclusion of another, or maybe my characterization.

While I don't guarantee that I'll completely conform to suggestions, I will take them into account and do my best to accommodate. As I said in the first chapter, I have an idea for the ending, but no specifics on how to get there. Any type of input is greatly appreciated!

This chapter is specially dedicated to **i laugh at you** (I'm just about to come into a much-needed stretch of nothingness in my calendar, and will try to work on this a lot more during that time) and **moon-bunny735** (aww…you're so sweet! thanks for the concern!), who have actually continued to review this story. It really means a lot to me you guys. Also, thanks to **Taeniaea** for reviewing my last chapter a while back, and **yugi'sgurl** for also making it known that some people are still interested in reading it! And yeah, I know the new rule for replying to reviews in the story, but I really do feel that some acknowledgements have more effect if made publicly. Though of course I'll avoid doing two pages of replies…

Ja!

-flarescence

Edited 2/12/06


End file.
